Misha Klein - Barbie

A DJ and producer involved in the house scene for a decade, Misha Klein continues his assault on the underground scene with a return to Zmey after his collaboration with No Hopes in March 2015. "Barbie" is a jackin' house gem, full of thumping bass line and pounding beats. A retro vocal from a bygone era instructs at regular intervals as a strong melodic hook infiltrates into the listener's consciousness in impressive fashion.

First up on remix duties, Ivan Spell continues to build on an impressive catalogue that includes releases on Armada, ARVAS and Red Star Records. Taking "Barbie" on a deeper, bass grooved path, a rich and warm low-end riff provides ample energy for a seismic kick and low-slung groove to supply foundation for the vocal sample to sit atop in menacing, stuttered fashion.

No Hopes and Tony Land introduce a stripped back interpretation of "Barbie". An additional loquacious vocal verse provides instant impact as it repeats throughout the five-minute journey, accompanied by intermittent instances of the original sample. The riff from the original also makes its presence felt in the breakdown before a drop brings beats and epic bass line back to the fore.

Ruslan Gasanov delivers the third remix, courtesy of his Grotesque pseudonym. A reverb-drench percussive section characterised by simple hats in house pattern supply the rhythmic bed. This then allows space for a filtered bass to rise and fall in hypnotic fashion as high-end interest is supplied through a riff that interacts intelligently with its cadenced surroundings.

Daniel Magre from the historic city of St. Petersburg is the final artist to take his place on the "Barbie" release. A regular on the DJ circuit in his hometown, Magre's incipent production career opens on Zmey with aplomb. Taking the primary elements from Misha Klein's original, Magre shifts the emphasis with new bass line and a dominant lead riff that bounces across proceedings in robust fashion. Combining with stuttered, reversed vocal sample, the resultant effect leads to a well-crafted reworking.